Are friends and family gifts making your home cluttered?

While it might be unconventional to have a holiday registry, there are certainly occasions where registries are not just acceptable, but encouraged. To name a few:

– Baby showers
– Weddings and
– Housewarming parties

Having a registry is often underutilized. 

The truth is, there are so many benefits to having a registry. Things like:
1. The gift recipient ends up with things that are truly needed
2. It prevents duplicates (this is HUGE, especially if there’s no gift receipt to make a return)
3. It helps people to identify your needs and style

Assuming you don’t provide a registry for your wedding, you might end up with three different china sets, none of which is your style.

Don’t underestimate how many people get a lot of anxiety over what to buy someone and fear the thought of purchasing something they’ll hate.

Having a registry offers peace of mind to that person and comfort in knowing that they’re spending their hard-earned money on something that’s guaranteed to be a hit… not stuff you don’t want!

Do you struggle with a family member who has a habit of buying your kids an excessive amount of gifts? “More gifts equal more love.”

Although you’re appreciative of the thought and time that went into the gifts, it can be extremely overwhelming to find room for a truck full of new items.

Having a conversation about gifts doesn’t have to be rude or scary—it can be done casually. In a way that helps them understand your goals for the space in your home.

Talking things over is the easiest way to avoid stuff you don’t want or have the space for.

Some conversations require a bit of boundary-setting in order to avoid receiving things you simply aren’t comfortable letting your kids own.

In the end, having a conversation about what you do and don’t want benefits both the gift-giver and the gift-receiver.

We are blessed with a big family over here which means our holiday gatherings can be pretty big.

For that reason, I started keeping track of all the different things my daughters wanted on a google sheet and via an Amazon wishlist that they keep track of themselves.

As soon as an idea comes to mind of something they would love to receive they add it! Now, when people ask me what the kids want- I actually have something to tell them! Honestly, I otherwise might not have a clue.

The spreadsheet and wishlist method help me to not give 3 different people the same idea to buy (it’s happened before 😬) and it makes things NEXT LEVEL easy for them because I’m often able to give them a direct link to the thing. They can skip the line and save the “searching mindlessly through stores” energy.

Voila.

Remember that people don’t know what you want unless you tell them. We’re not mindreaders!
And It’s easy to come across hundreds of things we love and quickly forget what they were if we don’t keep note of it.

OK. Some of you may be reading this and thinking, “lists ruin all the fun of trying to find the perfect gift”.

Look, you can use the information and shared ideas without going with the direct link if you enjoy the hunt of the perfect gift and the total surprise. I get it! But guidance of some sort is always a good thing.

It’s disheartening when someone invests tons of time, energy, and excitement on something that totally misses the mark. Remember that you’re not buying for yourself- you’re buying for another person. And gift-giving should be about that other person.

Choosing to “wing it” risks you running into that awkward situation where the sweet kid you’re buying for has outgrown the sequins jacket you thought they would love. Please don’t make one more person fake a smile this year!

Of course, stuff you don’t want doesn’t always come in the form of a gift. Maybe you signed up for a subscription a while back or unknowingly entered a “free samples” delivery service.

Now, you find yourself accumulating an abundance of testers and samples, only to shove them into your drawers.

Whether it’s samples, magazines, or monthly boxes the result is a bunch of clutter.

At some point, you have to take the time to let the service know- “stop sending me stuff”!
Subscriptions can be one of the worst culprits when it comes to clutter because it’s ongoing.

I’m just gonna say it- It’s okay to decline a bag of hand-me-downs full of stuff you don’t want.

You’re even allowed to say no to the heritage china cabinet that’s been passed down for generations that you simply don’t have the space for.

Getting stuff you don’t want can happen in a myriad of circumstances but the essence is the same- you have ZERO obligation to take things into your space or hold onto things that you don’t want.

Period.

Breaking your own boundaries will open the floodgates and set the tone for people to consider you the next time they want to get rid of something THEY don’t want.

Don’t feel bad for politely declining–stand your ground and don’t fall into the trap of people pleasing that leaves you stuck with a bunch of clutter.

If someone chooses to get offended about your decision- that’s on them. You can’t control how other people allow themselves to feel—as long as you’re being polite and gracious in the process.

All you can do is acknowledge that you appreciate the thought and thank them for the offer! Anything beyond that isn’t on you- it’s on them.

This is another mindset situation when it comes to receiving (and declining) things.